Yes, there was a real Jack Daniel, and yes, he loved whiskey. Back in the 1870s, the 5-foot-2 master distiller set his brand apart from others in the Lynchburg area by filtering it through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal. (That process is known as "the extra blessing," a representative said, and it's also why Jack Daniel's is a whiskey, not a bourbon, even though it's held to the same production standards.)
He ran the business for decades, but ultimately, it was the company safe that was his undoing—and no, it didn't involve any sort of Acme anvil-style antics. Daniel kicked it out of frustration one day and developed an infection that spread throughout his body, and he eventually died from complications surrounding it.
The safe has never left the original Lynchburg distillery, though, until this year. The brand's bringing it to New York as part of a pop-up general store in honor of its 150th anniversary. During the week of Sept. 18, fans will be able to tour the store and see how the whiskey is made.